Charter school reform is teetering on the edge in California
In the Public Interest’s pick of recent news about the ongoing effort to privatize public education in California. Not a subscriber? Sign up here.
Urgent action needed. Stand With Ross Valley Schools is communicating that AB 1505 is at risk. The proposed bill that would give more decision-making power about charter schools to local school boards is “back in front of the Senate Education Committee and in danger of being amended by the chair of the committee, Connie Leyva. The future of this bill is in Levya’s hands and could be gutted at anytime.” Stand With Ross Valley Schools
ICYMI. A new report by In the Public Interest finds fault with the state’s charter appeals process, which currently takes decision-making power away from local communities. In the Public Interest
Former charter director gets probation.In a plea deal with prosecutors, the former director of Oakland’s American Indian Model Schools was sentenced to one year of federal probation for a charge of falsifying grant applications. Ben Chavis was indicted two years ago on charges of fraud and money laundering, in what prosecutors described as a scheme to obtain more than $2.5 million of federally funded grants in violation of conflict-of-interest rules. The Mercury News
“The Age of Newsom begins in education.” Capital & Main’s Bill Raden reports on “significant wins last week when [Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)]’s first education budget sailed through the legislature mostly intact. A minimum increase, mandated by Prop. 98, will bump funding for K-12 and community colleges by $2.9 billion, to $81.1 billion in 2019–20. Capital & Main
And at the federal level… ”Democrats have long backed charter schools as a politically safe way to give kids at low-performing schools more options. Many supported merit pay for the best teachers and holding schools accountable for test scores. The presidential contest is proof that’s no longer the case.” The Washington Post
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